The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-12-21

Imperative.
uetter TO the New York ucrald)
WASHINGTON, December 11.-rhere is
Il growing belief among leading Demo
Gratis that Mr.. Carlisle would do well for
the party s harmonious action on the re-
duction of the surplus if he should make
Mr.. Randall chairman OF the Ways and
Means Committee. The suggestion has
been made to Mr.. Carlisle by n promi-
nent Western Democrat, whose belief is
that this selection would have the hap
piest effect in leading the two wings of
the party to "ttop together" Tho sug-
gestion does not please the Republicans
at all. They have q lively hope that the
Democrats will disagree i'll this Congress,
rs they did, through the folly OF Mr..
Morrison, III the last.
Those Democrats who think it would
be good policy for MIR. Carlisle to ask
Mr.. Randall to be chairman of the Ways
and Means, do not, however, much ex-
poet this to be done, because they nc
knowledge that it would be too unbear-
able to Colonel Wattersoh, who is JUS
now engagcdin shooting the deserters, -
and who, 1t is feared, would shoot the
whole Democratic party ii SO sensible Il
thing should be done as to put Mr..
Randall at the head of the Ways and
Means.
THE b OF THE SURPLUS.
All prophecies rs TO what kind of bill
to abolish the surplus will in
the end pass Congress and so TO the
President are mere folly. The Demo-
Gratis have but a marrow majority in the
House and rein a Mliuulity III the Senate.
When tho Ways md Means Committee
brings into tho IIouso u bill to reduce
taxes, that will be debated very fully,
and is then likely to be largely changed
before it passes the House 1t will then
go into the hands of til Finance COM
mittee in tho Senate, Of which the ma
jority arc Mcssrs. Morrill,, Sherman.
Jones, of Nevada, Allison, .Aldrich and
Hiscock, all strong protcctionis5s. Tucy
will change the bill to suit their views,
and bring it into the Republican Senate
thus amended, where again it Will be
fully debated, and when it passes there
it will return to the House to be again
considered.
Leading men OF both sides believe that
the tobacco tax will be repealed; in fact,
that is generally taken for granted. Tho
Democratic plan is, therCupon, to add
largely to the free list, by way of reduc,
ing taxation and striking off surplus
revenue, because to merely lower duties
on imported articles would probably in
crease and not decrease the
REPUBLICANS IN a
The Republicans, until within q few
days, were determined on one OF the two
courses, either to strike off the tobacco
tax and the sugar duty, which would re-
ducc the surplus by about eighty mil
lions, or to repeal the whole internal
revenu taxes. Since they nave realized
the dilemma in which the Presidents
message puts them, some of them are
hating 10 consider the situation. They
are so fully committed to q revision OF
The tariff by their speeches and plat
forms that, with the message staring
them i'll the face, they begin to think it
may be dangerous for them TO absolute
~ refuse and resist all tariff amend
mentS.
The message has in fact put the Re
publicans in II bad hole. The problem
the President presented i'll it lie pre-.
scented to both parties, because the Re-
publicans rule in one House, tho Demo
Gratis in the other, and, to get the sur
plus reduced, both parties must act.
The strong presentation Of the matter
by the President has awakened the
country to the lact that the surplus
revenues must be largely reduced to
prevent general Industrial aud financial
ruin. How this shall DO done, Mr..
Cleveland says in his message, depends
entirely on Congress that is to say, on
the Democrats in the House and on the
Republicans in the Senate; and while he
has given them his recommendations in
the matter, as is his constitutional duty,
he has in plain words put the whole re-
s~ponslblllty OF action to avert n great
danger on Congress, where it belongs.
THE DUTY OF II HOUR.
1t is perfectly understood by the Re-
publicans that the President will, and
indeed must, sign any bill sent him
which actually reduces revenue. The
longer they consider the Presidents
message, the more awkward the Repub-
licans see is tho situation in which it
places them, and the more difficult they
see their course to he. What conclu-
sion they viii eventually reach they do
not themselves know. They came here
convinced that to repeal the tobacco tax
II the sugar duty was their cheap and
easy way out; but they arc not nearly as
sure about it today. Republican NOM
bers and Senators from some Western
Republican States have been already
made to feel the pressure Of public SEN
timent favorable to tariff reform. The
remarkable course Of the Chicago Tri-
bune i'll promptly and positively sup
porting Mr.. Cleveland's message, and in
as plainly opposing Mr.. Btaipe's plans,
is seen to be not merely the expression
of Mr.. Medills own long held faith III
tariff reform, but to denote also that
behind the powerful Chicago Tribune
stands q strong and growing Republican
public opinion and demand for tariff re-
form.
Mr.. Clevetand's message has been n
shell in the Republican camp. If the
Democrats have wise leadership, which
will harmonize instead Of d~isintegratinQ
the party, they can take and keep the
lead, and pass a judicious and beneficent
measure to strike of the surplus reve-
nues. The Presidents message has
shown the way, and it has put new heart
and Yinnr in The nnrtu In flo nnnnn 10